Thread: Reality checks

Sorry if this thread has been started here before but with 100+ pages of threads to look through, I thought I'd run the risk and start a new one anyway

I was wondering if anyone has some good reality checks that they'd like to share? The most effective one I could come up with is checking the time when my watch chimes but I don't hear my watch during my sleep (even worse, if I had an alarm on, I would turn it off without waking up at all).

I know that the reality checks need to become habitual so any tips would be greatly appreciated

What I do the most is pinching my nose to see if I can still breathe.

A good one to try is writing RC on the back of your hand (I used to put a "D" for dream, but anything would work). Every time you see it during the day, perform a RC (any type will do). That way during your dream you will either see the letter, perform a RC and become lucid, or it won't be there and you will know you are dreaming (or at least perform a Rc to make sure). As for the RC to use along with this technique, I strongly suggest the nose pinch RC. It is the only RC that has never failed for me. Others you can try are pushing your finger through your palm, reading text then looking away then reading it again to see if it is the same, looking at your hands to see if they are normal, etc.

I'll give the nose pinching a shot. How often do you do the nose pinching? Do you do it on a routine or just every time you remember or see the words on your hand? I guess I haven't done it often enough to get into a habit but the text one hasn't worked for me yet. I haven't been lucid enough in a dream to be able to actually remember to do the reality check. I guess I'll work on making it a habit first.
When you perform an RC in a dream, do you always become lucid? I haven't done an RC in a dream yet but just going by how I am in dreams I don't know if my dream self would make anything of it. Lol I can imagine poking my finger through my palm and going "oh would you look at that... oh a purple cat!"

Well with the nose pinch, you generally won't miss lucidity. Pinch your nose, closing off the air passages, and then attempt to breathe through your nose. Its impossible in real life, but in a dream you can still breathe through your nose, because you aren't actually closing off the nasal passage. It is a good, reliable RC that I highly recommend.

I don't understand this.... If i was lucid enough to do RC wouldn't i be lucid to do anything?or do RC just help you become fully lucid. ( I'm a newbie :O )